A Message From Dr. Marisa Weiss: Remembering the Resiliency of Elizabeth Edwards

I want to take a moment to give respect to Elizabeth Edwards and express my sadness at her death. She was always a very brave and courageous woman, proud and protective mother, and a tireless champion for women facing breast cancer. I had the chance to work with Elizabeth Edwards at a Discovery Health TV town hall meeting. She was warm, open, honest, authentic, compassionate, and eloquent.

So many emotions come up for everyone, particularly women who’ve had breast cancer. Regardless of our political preferences, we relate to her on a very personal basis. We can understand how much will power it takes to go from one treatment to another, we can imagine how rough it was to handle the progression of her disease along with all of her personal challenges, and we can begin to feel her anguish when the decision was made to stop treatments while raising young children. We might also feel discouraged that today’s treatments weren’t powerful enough to control the cancer and save her life.

Separate from the sadness is a tremendous amount of admiration for Elizabeth Edwards. She shared her story to connect with other women and give them hope. She also received a great deal of strength knowing that many other women had forged the path and were pushing forward with her.

She got much comfort from her belief in resilience. And her own words have meaning for all of us too: “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.”

Any lost life to breast cancer—and any new diagnosis—must make us even more determined to eradicate this disease. Until all breast cancers can be prevented or cured, Breastcancer.org is fully committed to providing the best medical expertise and personal support to help each person overcome the devastation of this disease.

Thank you for sharing our mission. We are here for you during this sad time, and we welcome your stories about how Elizabeth inspired you.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is the founder, president, and chief medical officer of Breastcancer.org, the world's most trafficked online resource for medically reviewed breast health and breast cancer information, reaching over 14 million visitors per year. A breast cancer oncologist with over twenty years of active practice in the Philadelphia region, Dr. Weiss is regarded as a visionary advocate for her innovative and steadfast approach to informing, empowering, and treating patients with breast cancer.

Elizabeth Edwards was indeed an admirable woman who did much to raise awareness of the realities of a breast cancer diagnosis beyond the all too familiar images of pink ribbons and ‘cures.’ I have been inspired by her ability to carry on giving without seeking pity and in very difficult circumstances. Your message does full justice to what she achieved Melissa, something that I am sure Elizabeth would be proud of.

December 09, 2010EnglishMajor says:

As one of 155,000 U.S. people with metastatic breast cancer, I mourn the loss of Elizabeth Edwards.

She inspired her fellow Stage IV sisters. Despite her illness she maintained an active schedule—a source of hope for those similarly afflicted.

We hear often about women, particularly celebrities, who have completed their treatment for an early stage breast cancer. We rarely hear about women like Edwards whose breast cancer is treatable but ultimately unbeatable.

As a high profile woman with metastatic breast cancer, Edwards was the public face of an advanced disease most people prefer to ignore. We were all rooting for her.

As women with metastatic breast cancer, we are incureable. Our best hope is that when one treatment fails another option will be available. Sadly, eventually every woman with metastatic breast cancer will find, as Elizabeth Edwards did, that all avenues have been exhausted.

May we handle our own struggles with the grace, courage and poise she showed us. We will remember our sister Elizabeth.

December 10, 2010Mazy1959 says:

I had an instant bond with Elizabeth even though I never met her. Her stage4 diagnosis was announced around the same time I found out I had it. I remember the first time I ever saw her on TV campaigning with John. First impressions to me were that she was poised, proud and very real. She was authentic and she shared her strength with the world. She reinforced my outlook on life and I felt encouraged by her. Her legacy will live on in her precious children. God bless you and keep you Elizabeth. My condolences to the family. Luv and Hugs, Mazy

December 11, 2010marlegal says:

My first impression of Elizabeth was feeling sorry that she had to fight cancer and be in the public eye, smiling all the time, while doing so. She certatinly raised the bar for other women to aspire to her level of acceptance and poise. I ache for her children, but she was such a positive influence on their lives, I just hope it was for long enough. RIP Mrs. Edwards.

December 12, 2010yohana says:

Elizabeth so brave and real fighter. RIP Mrs Edwards

December 13, 2010Annie62 says:

I too am deeply saddened at Elizabeth Edward’s passing. On 12/6, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy due to a recurrence 6 years after my original diagnosis. Her comment on ‘resiliency’ is the perfect response to people who learn of my recurrence. It is exactly what I’ve been thinking but haven’t been able to express.

My heartfelt condolences to her children and those dear to her.

January 21, 2011Tracy48744 says:

I am very saddened by the death of a wonderful woman who was an inspiration to me. She was a woman who did it all. She was the one who helped bring awareness of cancer and mammograms to my attention. She was the one woman i wanted to meet. My condolences go out to her children and those dear to her. She never gave up her fight.
She will be missed.

April 01, 2011God_is_good says:

Elizabeth Edwards was a part of all Americans lives through politics. She was more than just John Edwards wife, she was an independent, strong woman who didn’t let adversities bring her down. She was a wonderful mother and her children are blessed to have been loved by her. I will remember her smiling face, her down-to-earth people person ways, and not hearing her complaining about what she was facing with breast cancer. Her strong faith in God is evident in her grace, May God Bless her & her family. Love, hugs & prayers, Bonnie